Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-07-02
LIFE IN LIBERIA.
Dismal Account of the African Negrt,
Commonwealth.


Commonwealth.
DIR. Ralph w. Perry, whose recent
return from Liberia has been noted, is
still bleached, as the result of his long
wrestle with African or coast fever, but
he is gradually recovering his former
vigor. He has rich and varied ex-
perience on the African coast, and
nothing will win him back. He went
out in the employ of the Episcopal
Mission Board, to be in charge Of the
hospital, and of the two who accom-
panied him one died with the coast
fever within three weeks after arrival,
while the other was driven insane from
similar cause. Monrovia is the capi-
tai of Liberia, being named in honor
of President Monroe, of this country.
and it is town of about five thousand
people, of which number eleven are
white and the remainder of mixed
blood, but largely native. The bus-
ness of the town is in the hands of less
than one hundred persons, and the re-
mainder of its population lives off
them. Common labor is poorly re-
muneratcd. There is no plantation
work, save in the coffee picking season,
and the negroes who were exported
from the South some years ago lead
shiftless and forlorn lives, not much
improved upon the native black There
is no money, and in payment Of what
ever labor there is to do the laborer is
compelled to take out the price in what
ever is offered him. Flour, costing s.
a barrel in New York, retals at Sl5 per
barrel; muslin of ordinary quality 70
cents per yard, milk the same price per
pint, and small pints, at that; and
every thing else in proportion. The
steamship interests are controlled by
Belgium and German firms, and the
agents that are sent to Liberia to look
after their commercial affairs are un-
der contract to remain three years but
few last that long. No white man cs-
capes an attack of African fever. II
seized Perry after he had been there
| but u short time, but thanks to sturdy
constitution he was able to fight off the
| first attack, and a second and third
but it kept returning every month ol
two, until it finally wore him out. 1T
symptoms are very much like the ordi
nary yellow fever of the South, but
unlike the yellow fever, the fact that
a man has it once is no guarantee thai
he is not liable to continued attacks Of
it. The mission at Monrovia i,
in charge of Rev. Mr.. Ferguson
who is not only u missionary
but also the bishop, and he ha,
some twenty assistants, who arc sta
toned at Monrova and other points
The mission was established in 1852
and it is maintained mt about a yearly
cost of $4,000, and DR.. Perry doubts
if the conversions to date exceed 500
| 1t is not Il pleasant country in which tt
live, even for u native, and whit,
man migrating to its inhospi.abl,
shore, although the doctor didn't say
this in as many words, might as wei
leave all hope behind. Bishop Fer
| guson is a colorcd man, and this ac
counts for his tenacity of life. There
are two seasons of the year, dry ant
wet, but Perry failed to note much diff
| ference between the wet and dry, un
| less it was that in the wet season il
raincd day and night while in the dry
it rained only at night. The wet sea-
son is the hcalthiest, because it is the
coolest, and the temperature du;ing
the day ranges from 60 to l20 degrees
Only once during his stay of ten
months, however, did it drop to GO de-
| gress, and then it felt cold enough tC
| don ilanncls and overcoat. The trip
| going and coming from New York i,
made by sailing vessels, and usually
occupies forty-iive days each way
| J,l1i1,1dDOIS NcjcS